Computer and Technology News Blog

Tata Motors will launch products from its world truck platform in the second quarter of this financial year (FY10), after a delay of nine months. The range was expected to hit the roads by October quarter last year. The company will be unveiling the range on Friday here. The world truck range extends from 10 tonnes to 75 tonne. The powertrain option stretches from 150 PS to 560 PS, with suitable engines, transmissions and axles of different makes. It will be produced at Jamshedpur plant. The company did not divulge the price.

On the eve of the unveiling P Telang, executive director, commercial vehicle division, Tata Motors, said, “We need to graduate little faster in the mass transportation space and our offering is in line with this motive.” The world truck platform is an outcome of a joint development by Tata Motors and its two subsidiaries, Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company in South Korea and the Tata Motors European Technical Centre plc in the UK. Tata Motors has made an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore in the project. The products from this platform will be Euro III and IV complaint and prepared for Euro V.

The company plans to start exports of the said by the end of the financial year. It is looking at countries including South Africa, Turkey, Russian and Middle East.

Asked if the company will be looking at Lucknow facility for the project, Telang said, “Lucknow is a satellite plant. Our plants are flexible and we will take a call if needed.” On the possible replacement of the old range by world truck range, Telang said, “The existing range of trucks will continue to co-exist with the world trucks.”

“The market in India for such products is niche. The overall market for such products in India stands at 5%,” said R Ramakrishnan, head sales and marketing, medium and heavy trucks, Tata Motors. The Jamshedpur plant will be producing 55,000 units this year.